The sentencing hearing for a former top Ontario political aide caught up in the province’s gas plants scandal heard glowing accounts of his character on Monday as the prosecution called for a six-month jail term while the defence urged a conditional discharge.

As former premier Dalton McGuinty’s chief of staff, prosecutor Tom Lemon said, David Livingston was the “premier’s designate” who willfully ignored advice from senior bureaucrats in thwarting democratic accountability.

Livingston faces sentencing for illegal use of a computer, a second guilty finding was stayed Monday. The conviction relates to his destruction of potentially embarrassing documents about the Liberal government’s costly decision to cancel two gas plants before the 2011 provincial election.

“The course of conduct underlying Livingston’s guilt was a planned and deliberate attempt to destroy retainable records by a sophisticated government actor in a very senior position of public trust and authority,” Lemon said. “Such a person must be held to a high standard. The public is entitled to expect nothing less.”

In its submissions, the defence said it would be outrageous to send a first-time offender with an unblemished record of successful public and private-sector service to jail, especially since there was no evidence he caused any actual harm.

“The Crown is being influenced by the public clamour surrounding this case to seek a dramatically severe penalty, one that would result in imposition of a harsh and excessive sentence,” defence lawyer Brian Gover said in a written submission.

“The most appropriate disposition is to grant Mr. Livingston a conditional discharge that requires him to perform community service.”

A conditional discharge would mean Livingston eventually would have no criminal record if he fulfilled any imposed conditions.

Earlier in the day, dozens of people appeared in court or had their letters read aloud in support of Livingston, among them relatives, friends, and business and political associates.